Disappointed in You

He sits on a throne originating from Atlantis, with the ashes of the first king beneath his feet.

Mera stared intently at his condescending arrogance.

This was the first time she discovered that Beckett possessed that most attractive quality in her.

The aura of a king.

"No, Beckett."

"You should be the true king."

"It wasn't me."

Mera bent down to pick up the Golden Trident that had fallen at her feet, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Beckett.

He tore Carlson apart with his bare hands and smashed the Trident with his fists.

She was simply a freeloader who reaped all the benefits.

Mera is very self-aware.

She never gained the approval of the Golden Trident; if it weren't for Beckett, she wouldn't have even been able to get past the Trench Kingdom.

What right does she have to call herself a queen?

"I?"

"If I become the King of the Ocean, I won't stop your father as you expect."

Beckett sneered, a hint of disappointment gradually appearing in his eyes.

It was very irritating to Mera.

"Not only that, I will do everything I can to urge your father to start the war."

"Don't joke around, Beckett— "

Mera, carrying the Golden Trident, walked step by step up the stairs to Beckett.

Her beautiful eyes glanced around, but her smile gradually faded under Beckett's gaze.

"I never joke."

Beckett stood up, and the cold indifference that shone in his now-normal black pupils startled Mera.

Do you know?

"I once saw a person on a planet called Gafa."

"He is the ruler of that planet, the king in the true sense of the word."

He believes that there are people in this world who never have the courage to make decisions on their own and always have to rely on others.

He believes that some people are born to be ruled because they are always shirking the responsibilities they should bear.

"Even if they already have enough power."

Beckett was disappointed in Mera.

He never expected that after obtaining the Golden Trident, a symbol of royal power, Mera's first choice would be to give it to him, rather than use it to realize her own ideals.

"What?" Mera's eyes widened as she was inexplicably mocked.

What did she do wrong?

Was she wrong?

She never gained the Golden Trident's approval, and she could never have become the Queen of the Sea by relying on it.

It was Beckett who conquered it; she was clearly just someone who reaped the benefits without effort.

So, she's still wrong?

"Beckett, I think you might have some misunderstanding about Atlantis. Since ancient times, it has been the symbol of the unification of the seven seas; without its recognition—"

"Give me."

Beckett, not wanting to listen, interrupted Mera's explanation.

Mera obediently handed the trident to Beckett: "I knew it—"

Click!

Mera's joy froze instantly.

The Golden Trident, revered as a treasure by the entire underwater world, was snapped in half by Beckett!

Clang!

The trident, broken in two, fell at Mera's feet.

"Beckett! What have you done?!?!?!" Mera grabbed her red hair, staring at the man in front of her in disbelief.

"The moment you handed it to me, I had the right to break it." Beckett poked with his toe, and the broken trident flew directly to Woz's side.

"Woz, use it to grill meat," Beckett instructed Woz.

"Yes, Your His Highness Beckett."

"???" Mera's eyes widened as she watched Woz laboriously slice off a skewer of Carlson's flesh and thread it onto the trident...

"Beckett, you—"

"Weapons are not meant to be displayed, but to be used, regardless of their purpose."

"I'm very disappointed in you." Beckett shook his head, instantly adopting the tone of his adoptive father, Thanos.

With a sneer, he flew directly off the waterfall with Woz and landed on the island to start a fire and roast meat.

It's real barbecue.

When Mera and Atlanna hurriedly swam out of the waterfall, they were shocked to see Woz busy sprinkling seasonings.

The raging flames scorched the chunks of flesh on the golden trident; the weapon of the first King of Atlantis had now truly become a barbecue skewer, creating a rather surreal scene.

The main reason is that the grilled meat is indeed very fragrant.

The kind of fragrance that can be smelled for miles around.

"Ms. Mera, Ms. Atlanna, would you like some barbecue?"

With a white hat pulled from his pocket on his bald head and a plaid apron tied around his round waist, Woz grinned and greeted Mera and the other two.

He greeted everyone while fanning himself with a fan.

Mera couldn't help but frown. "Beckett, why?"

"Because I want to do it."

Beckett lay on the vine, swaying and chuckling.

He really didn't understand Mera's mindset.

How can a living person have to obey the orders of a weapon?

"This weapon was forged by the King of Atlantis after he unified the seven seas. How do you know he didn't use it to grill meat?"

Beckett even suspected that the first king must have used it to grill fish, otherwise it was impossible to explain why the thing looked so much like a human harpoon.

"I—" Mera wanted to retort, but for a moment she didn't know how to respond.

"You are trampling on the dignity of the entire underwater world, Beckett." Mera speechless. Atlanna, who saw through Beckett's thoughts, shook her head and continued the topic loudly.

"According to legends passed down for thousands of years, only those who are recognized by the Golden Trident can become the King of the Ocean."

"Mera's decision to give up is reasonable."

"Queen Atlanna ..." Mera, who had been poked in the elbow by Atlanna, listened to her words and suddenly recalled Beckett's earlier words.

I'm very disappointed in you.

He believes that there are people in this world who never have the courage to make decisions on their own and always rely on others.

He believed that some people are born to be ruled because they constantly shirk the responsibilities they should bear.

Even if they already possess sufficient power.

Do you think I'm shirking responsibility?

"Oh, you've figured it out now?" Beckett opened his eyes, reached out and took the roast meat that Woz handed him, eating it piece by piece with great relish.

Can one become king without the Trident's approval?

That's utter nonsense!

Ultimately, it's just a man-made weapon; what right does it have to be considered a weapon?

"A harpoon is a sacred object when it is recognized by the king; without the king's recognition, it may just be a skewer."

"You were clearly determined to stop the war yourself, so why did you give up because of a mere weapon?"

"In the end, it's because of your inherent cowardice."

Disappointed Beckett vented his frustration in one breath, taking a bite that sent juices flying everywhere.

As for why I was disappointed...

Beckett didn't know either.

Anyway, he was disappointed.

Woz adjusted his white chef's hat, glanced back at Beckett, and secretly pulled out "The History of Love" to continue recording Beckett's every move.

I'm stuck on this, so stuck I want to bang my head against the wall (ノ=Д=)ノ┻━┻

Suddenly I don't know how to write the next part of the Justice League storyline.

Let's take a break with Beckett's love life first, then I'll only update once today...